Most of you know the Tiny House Blog has become a business for me and as a business I would like to support a special charity. My wife is a school teacher in a Christian school and I have a special interest in helping schools throughout the world.
A couple of years ago our church developed a One-Day Church that could be assembled in a day and than completed by the locals to fit their environment. This year they have developed a One-Day School but a little different, it is a completed classroom that holds up to 40 children, built and ready to use in one day.
The One-Day School is 21 x 30 feet. It fits into our category of small homes and so I think we can relate to its size, with a completed cost of $7,500. My goal as a business owner is to donate a portion of the profits generated from the Tiny House Blog to this project. I would like to somehow sponsor at least one school a year. So by you supporting the blog by purchasing plans, books, etc., and visiting advertisers on the blog you can help me reach this goal.
If you want to personally get involved with the One-Day School Project you can click here and donate at the Maranatha website.
ABC’S OF THE ONE-DAY SCHOOL
- Large classroom – 21 x 30 feet (6.4 x 9.15 meters)
- Nine foot (2.74 meters) side walls
- Solid, galvanized steel structure for long life and rust prevention
- Five foot (1.5 meters) patio overhang for weather protection and comfort
- Premium earth-tone steel wall panels
- Eight large, galvanized windows for light and ventilation
- Roof, window and end-wall venting for natural, “chimney effect”, cooling
- Excellent thermal efficiencies
- White reflective roof panels
- Clear composite panels introduce natural light for a bright, cheery classroom
- Concrete foundation and floor with wide concrete porch
- High quality steel door with entry lock
- Multiple-sized galvanized steel desks for up to 40 students
- Chalkboard
- From a completed concrete pad to the start of school takes just one day
- Attractive appearance designed to last for decades
- Low maintenance
- World-wide shipping
- Low cost = $7,500 per classroom (includes concrete floor)
This classroom can be provided anywhere in the world very quickly and economically. The flexible design is appropriate for a single classroom or a complete campus.
Each classroom includes: Concrete floor and patio, steel frame, earth-tone siding, white metal roofing, natural lighting and ventilation, steel door, desks for 40 children, chalkboard and world-wide shipping.
Wow! I’ll go take a look. This seems to be a very worthy cause. Thanks for sharing.
Good idea just bad implementation. What I noticed right off was the incredible number of sharp metal edges (and points) that these children are going to slice open various body parts on.
If you watch the movie on the website, it says they have taken care of that issue. I have not seen the school in person but have seen the church and it seemed safe.
Lost me at the church part.
The church was the first development and the school is the most recent.
Is this a joke?
Kids & galvanized sheet metal don’t mix!
I hope they have an ER very close to the school.
Look at all those sharp edges on the desk/bench.
Trust me, galvanized sheet metal cuts like a razor blade.
Relax…they got it all figured out. I saw a post on tinyhospital blog about the one-day hospital they put next to the one-day church and school.
Fantastic!
Kent – I applaud you for engaging in a worthwhile cause. As for the sheet metal, it appears that most of the edges are bent or folded. Maybe some 1/2″ plywood tops for the desks and benches (with rounded edges) would cover the sharp corners and eliminate the critics.
If the sharp edges are taken care of the metal desks are very practical. Termite proof, rot resistent materials are best for many tropical climates.
Kent, this is an interesting design, and seems like a worth cause( education in the third world). How do you address the cost of shipping + the building itself, in comparison to locally sourced materials and a longer build time?
Great idea, I do think desks and chairs would be better built, or at least modified using wood, which is more friendly to sit on and certainly warmer in cold parts of the world.
With that said, if you added insulation and interior boarding it wouldn’t up the cost much and would make a more comfortable year-round solution.
With such a low cost it could be sponsored by a much smaller number or people, or even by a small business with a tax write off, and give a poor community a big leg up in getting their kids educated. Add sponsoring the cost of a teacher and you could make a huge difference to future prospects of kids.
I have friends and family members who have been on Maranatha trips. I can say this is a good organization and a worthy cause.
Kent, Have you considered an Amazon link on your site? You could have an Amazon store for books about tiny houses. You could also set up a link so you would get a commission when people buy anything through your link. I currently do all my Amazon purchases through a link on another blog, but would use your link if you had one. Other people might do the same….
Dwight
Good to see you’re (still) using your powers for good Kent! Good to see people giving back/caring.
-Deek
Relaxshacks.com
I agree that this is a great idea, but my first thought was, “where is the insulation?” How can this be anything buy unbearably hot in the summer and freezing in the winter? Also, I tend to believe that children are like plants in that they need natural light, especially in a learning environment.
Basically, I think the concept is great, but the design leaves quite a lot to be desired.
Our company is looking to sponser a school and I was hoping to talk to you about your experience.